Islamist fundamentalism at war with the West
In case you didn't get the memo, you heard it here first. We are at war. Islamist fundamentalism is at war with the West. Published August 8, 2016
Renee Garfinkel
Articles by Renee Garfinkel
Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Democratic Party
The Democratic Party's current dilemma is a bit like a challenge faced by U.S. diplomats back in 1929. That year, the new Secretary of State, Henry L. Stimpson, cut State Department funding for military intelligence. His reasoning has since become famous: "Gentlemen do not read each other's mail." Published August 1, 2016
B.D. Yemini book reveals media as an ‘Industry of Lies’
We live in the information age, and it turns out to be an age that overflows with misinformation and disinformation. If Francis Bacon was right when he said, "knowledge is power," then we are powerless indeed. We have more access to information than the world has ever known...so why are we still so ill-informed? Published July 11, 2016
Make a difference, pay it forward
A Memphis teenager asked a random stranger in a grocery store to help him buy groceries for himself and his disabled mother. Matt White took an interest, got involved, man and boy bonded, and, in two weeks, $103,000 was raised to help the family. Published June 27, 2016
Ramadan bloodied again by violence
My Muslim friends tell me that Ramadan is a holy month. They say it is a month dedicated to introspection, facilitated by daily fasting. Published June 9, 2016
RENEE GARFINKEL: Anti-Semitism in the presidential campaign
Are Cornel West and James Zogby anti-Semites? Here's how you can tell. Published June 7, 2016
RENEE GARFINKEL: Obama’s yellowcake moment
Remember yellowcake? Back in 2003 the Bush administration told us that Iraq was buying uranium in the form of yellowcake that could be enriched to weapons grade. That was the linchpin of President Bush's justification for the Iraq war. Published May 24, 2016
RENEE GARFINKEL: Suicide: To be or not to be
Why are more of us choosing not to be? Why has America's suicide rate risen by 24 percent in the past 15 years? Published May 2, 2016
RENEE GARFINKEL: ‘Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment’
Spring casts a spell that turns ordinary people into lovers and poets, who note the new buds on their walk into work and bless them with gentle smiles. Published April 18, 2016
RENEE GARFINKEL: Connect the terror dots
At the final moment of his radio show that I co-host on Tuesdays, my colleague and friend Armstrong Williams asked, "Do you think Europe is becoming Israel, with its terrorist problem?" Published April 4, 2016
RENEE GARFINKEL: Do black lives matter - even in Africa?
There's been a lot of criticism of "The Obama Doctrine." His facts were challenged, as were his principles. The most frequent and severe criticism was reserved for President Obama's harsh judgments of U.S. allies. Published March 21, 2016
RENEE GARFINKEL: Where normal is a dirty word
Who could possibly be opposed to life being normal? In my field, psychology, "normal" is a gentle word meaning free from any mental disorder; in other words, sane. Published March 7, 2016
RENEE GARFINKEL: Stop criminalizing illness
What would you say if you heard that sick people were more likely to be killed by police than other people? Published February 23, 2016
RENEE GARFINKEL: Why do we want our president to be religious?
Published February 8, 2016
RENEE GARFINKEL: Letter from Jerusalem
For a little while last week, I felt hopeful about the world. Published January 25, 2016
RENEE GARFINKEL: Lonely? Welcome to the club
Have you ever been lonesome? Of course you have. It's natural to feel lonely, especially following a break up or move to a new location. We'd have no country music or blues if no one ever felt lonely! Published January 12, 2016
RENEE GARFINKEL: Muslim leaders need to reflect, not deflect
When I hear about the latest bone-chilling crime committed by a member of a group, I ask, "Is this the action of a few very bad apples, or is there something rotten about the barrel?" Published January 4, 2016
RENEE GARFINKEL: Murderers’ Christmas tree: U.S. funds undermine Christmas in Mideast
Peace on Earth, good will to all mankind, that is the essential message of Christmas. The image of the babe born in Bethlehem is a symbol of tenderness and the hope for a future of peace and harmony. Published December 21, 2015
RENEE GARFINKEL: Urban youth, like Syrian counterparts, live in war zones
In his Thanksgiving address to the nation, President Obama used his bully pulpit to remind us "all God's children are worthy of compassion and care." Published December 16, 2015
